RE: The Truths that Dr. MacArthur’s Social Justice Series won’t Change

A brother and fellow TMS alumnus by the name of Terrence Jones wrote a post that required reply.  I’ve seriously considered writing to him privately over this, but as his post is public and becoming more widely disseminated, I’m responding publicly.  Still, I hope he reads and accepts these words in the spirit of grace in which I offer them.  I also hope to provide others who are curious about the discussion with a different perspective.

I’m far from perfect. I have made many mistakes in my life, both before and after Christ. If perfection is the requirement to sound an alarm then you should stop reading now. I have not met that standard. I stand only because of the grace of God and the perfect record of the spotless lamb, Jesus Christ, who died for my sins (past, present and future).

I also want to affirm that I will never forget my time at The Master’s Seminary. The things I’m about to say, do not negate the reality that I was shaped and molded for four years of my life in this environment. I cherish many memories and the example of many individuals. By God’s grace, the dividends are numerous and the impact will have lasting effects for the years to come. I’m grateful for Dr. MacArthur, the staff of the seminary and college, the local churches my wife and I were a part of, and the multitude of friendships that were forged through the ups and downs of that season of life.

However, the presence of true and real blessings does not mean the absence of some alarming realities. Unfortunately, people who can’t wrap their mind around the previous statement will struggle with the criticisms I levy in this post. They will only see the “heads” side of the coin, unable to comprehend that “tails” even exists. They will use phrases like “how dare you speak negatively of our great president” because of all the “good” that TMUS, Grace To You, and Dr. MacArthur have done over the years.  Life should and must be examined from multiple angles from which we can appreciate elements that are helpful and reject the things that are not. We should be able to affirm both Peter’s miraculous preaching in Acts chapter 2, and his need for correction in Galatians 2 for being out of step with the gospel. As the saying goes, we have to be able to “eat the meat, but spit out the bones.”

No one should have a problem with any of this.  Folks can appreciate good experiences while having some concerns, and obviously good ministries have room for improvement.  Indeed, I had a few negative experiences of my own that I’ve never made public (and haven’t personally seen the need to do so); Terrence has the freedom to express his opinion within biblical parameters.

People who live among minority cultures understand this reality because much of life around us is facilitated by majority culture systems and individuals. Being a minority operating in majority culture can be like trying to build a house using the Imperial system of measurement (i.e. feet, inches, and pounds) when you have been trained your whole life with the Metric system of measurement (i.e. meters, grams).

This experience is more universal than simply in minority communities.  For instance, having grown up poor in a trailer park, I can understand this feeling.  I’ve spoken to people and thought they were out of touch.  I struggled to stifle a laugh during one senior testimony—a graduating student said he was so poor during seminary his bank account reached $100 during a pay period. 

Many people believe they’ve had unique struggles, which is why we must come back to 1 Corinthians 10:13—“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man.”  Take heed when you feel this way, because the temptation is to become inwardly focused.  This can result in a sinful “me/us against the world” attitude that questions everyone who looks different or lives in a different tax bracket (a problem with critical race theory, for instance). 

In fact, it’s important to realize that those who experience “success” by worldly standards are not doing so by oppressing “me and mine.”  They do so by following the steps of other successful people, including folks of all walks of life and ethnicity today.  The same is true of seminary and in ministry, and it’s wrong to assume that if others prosper, they didn’t earn it.

For 11 years (4 as a student/staff at TMUS & 7 as an alumnus/church planter) I have kept my concerns mainly to myself, daring to share them with only a small group of people who’ve encouraged me to keep moving forward or whom I felt could actually bring about change. For many years I have “bitten my bottom lip” publicly, so to speak. In an attempt to honor those who have impacted my life, I have applied such force and pressure to that lip as to cause the shedding of blood. Yet quietly over the last few years, it has become increasingly difficult to keep biting that lip and wiping away the blood, and tears.

This is commendable to an extent, brother.  I’m thankful for the testimony of those Christians who don’t feel the need to confront someone for every offense.  Christians should practice this much more.

There’s a balance, though, and it seems that you were silent about your thoughts for too long.  Matthew 18 is as much for your benefit as the offender’s—“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother” (v. 15).  What you’d find is that no one thought they were causing you pain, for they would have sought you out and tried to make it right. 

Confrontation is awkward for you as a believer because you’re not yet be sure whether you could have overlooked the offense.  Even so, it’s better to talk to folks before you are to the point of complete anguish.  Remind yourself that people (especially the godly men at these institutions) are more willing to listen than you might have come to believe.

Since leaving seminary and planting a multicultural church in the inner-city of Montgomery, AL, my appreciation for the gospel and how it impacts racism and justice has only grown. As I watch the perseverance of my neighbors, live among them, and see the tangible struggles of their lives, Christ in me rises up and issues a call to action. As I see believers from various cultures and economic backgrounds forge real gospel community, deferring to one another and believing the best of one another, my appreciation for the gospel in action strengthens.

Understandable.  I really appreciate and am challenged by the line, “deferring to one another and believing the best of one another.”  We must all remember that, while Christians may have differing opinions on what is the best social policy, we are still brothers and sisters and even opposing ideas may have a germ of truth. 

To hear Dr. MacArthur and Grace To You say/write narrow-minded, inconsiderate, and frankly unbiblical things about the intersection of the gospel and racism has had a profound effect on me. It has impacted me to the point of saying, “Enough is enough.” I no longer care that I’m a low level nobody challenging a giant. I no longer care if, like others before me, I’m labeled a “black sheep” by TMUS for lovingly articulating concerns. As a matter of fact, the cavalier attitude of Phil Johnson (executive director of Grace to You), and Dr. MacArthur make it perfectly clear that even if I remain silent, I’m already a “black sheep.” Their comments/writings do nothing to consider the circumstances of anyone other than upper middle class, Republican-leaning white men (I’m neither republican nor democrat), and minorities who are accustomed to that culture. So in reality, my comments today cannot make me what I already feel like, “a black sheep”. I’m just graduating from a “black sheep” to a “blacker sheep.” It’s a promotion that I’m finally willing to accept.

Respectfully, you just contradicted every word you’ve spoke and stated your case in an unbiblical way.  You don’t simply say these men err, but that MacArthur demonstrates a “narrow-minded” position (what you say later of him is far worse) and accuse Phil Johnson of having an “cavalier attitude.”  You state they don’t care for anyone who isn’t exactly like them ethnically or politically, and you imply that they want to paint you as a “black sheep.”  These stunning accusations come after stating your respect for these ministries and your love for a gospel community believing the best about one another.  I’m not saying you can’t disagree, or that you must flatter them while disagreeing, but Scripture says, “Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers” (1 Tm 5:1).

This is why you must take care not to become sinfully self-focused—you’re writing as though suffering from a martyr complex.  I’m sure as a pastor, you’ve counseled people who have a “woe is me” attitude amid real trials, and you’ve had to counsel them how to handle bad situations in a Christian manner.  You don’t have to agree on the particulars of MacArthur’s teaching, but you do have to disagree in a way that honors the Lord.

Therefore, no matter what Dr. MacArthur says about the gospel and social justice in his current series hosted by Grace to You, certain truths will not change. No matter how few people hear or agree with what I have to say, the reality of the difficulties many have experienced at TMUS will remain. No matter how they try to change the subject from the real elephant in the room (probation and the potential loss of accreditation by WASC for a lack of integrity mixed with a culture of fear and intimidation) to the issue of social justice, the truth doesn’t change.

Again, this is not believing the best.  Do you really believe that John MacArthur and Phil Johnson are akin to politicians changing the media’s narrative to distract from negative news?  After spending eleven years out there, do you truly think so little of these men?  If so, how can you continue to state your respect for them?

To provide some perspective, the conversations on social justice have grown exponentially since you and I were at the seminary.  Particularly jarring was the TGC 2015 Orlando conference that invited unbelievers to educate the church on social justice.  Phil Johnson and Thabiti Anyabwile have engaged in open Twitter debate since 2016.  Just this year, we’ve had the MLK50 Conference and sessions in the T4G conference take “white” evangelicalism to task.  Johnson said months ago that MacArthur was aware of these issues and thinking of a response.  Regardless of anyone’s opinion on MacArthur’s statements, these conversations have been ongoing.

It seems to stretch credulity to think that this is a planned diversion, especially when we consider the fact that Phil Johnson has no connection to TMU or the accreditation process.  Even so, does not our gospel community require us to believe “the best of one another”?  I want to challenge you to consider a better way of stating your disagreement?

It is worth noting that the vast majority of the data of the WASC report was given by my white brothers and sisters who are also hurting. I’m speaking up to encourage them, and to let them know they are not alone. I leave my thoughts with you not to change your mind, but to ensure that before God I can sleep at night knowing that I didn’t shrink back from saying hard things about beloved institutions and individuals. I write and make my thoughts public to fight for many others, who have not yet been heard or who, for a host of reasons, do not believe that they can speak up. The truth is Dr. MacArthur’s own leadership and institutions show little concern for the African American community and other minority students who grew up in a African American minority context. Every time Dr. MacArthur tells his 50 year old civil rights story about “his good friend” John Perkins and visiting the murder scene of MLK, I often wonder why those experiences have translated into very little consideration towards marginalized people.

I appreciate that you are speaking against what you see as a problem for those of all stripes.  It may be that there’s numerous problems I never experienced as a white student.  Still, I confess my skepticism to the sweeping nature of your statement.  I’ve met students from around the world in my time at the college and seminary, and I’ve also mingled with a strong mixture of ethnicities at the church.  The Master’s Academy International lists schools in Albania, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany/Switz/Austria, Honduras, India, Italy, Malawi, Mexico, Russia, Singapore/China, South Africa, Spain, the Philippines, and Ukraine.  Local ethnic outreach from Grace Community Church includes Arabic, Chinese, Filipino, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, and Thai.  This is only to name a few. 

It strikes me as disingenuous to say that MacArthur has little concern for these contexts.  Could MacArthur’s institutions do more, and do what they do better?  Sure, and they’ll need help identifying problem areas.  Perhaps the governing boards of these institutions understood that you are appealing to them as a brother and not attacking, they may give your argumentation more consideration.

Please consider the following realities.

In the entire TMS curriculum, which is 98 credit hours and approximately between 100 – 150 required books to read, not one book is written by a person of African heritage. Additionally, very few people of African descent are even explored within the historical theology classes. We traced the history of Christianity from 100 A.D. to our present day. Of all the historical figures we studied, I only remember Athanasius being identified as someone from African origins. What majority culture Christians don’t realize is that their world is dominated by Christians of European heritage. Minorities are often looking for faces and contributions of people who share their ethnic identity. Not for the sake of being superior. We simply long to understand how people of a similar ethnicity have contributed to redemptive history. You would think that since Dr. MacArthur is such “good friends” with John Perkins we would have read at least one of Dr. Perkins books or even learned about his legacy. However, even our classes that covered the history of Christianity in the United States were void of African American contributions.

Why does this matter? It sends a not so subtle message that the only great thinkers are European thinkers. The only great thoughts are European thoughts. Thus, Christianity is inadvertently portrayed as the white man’s religion. It’s heartbreaking and hurtful.

On the whole, I would say this is your most substantial argument.  (It would have been better to state earlier without so much negative commentary).  And, I bet folks would listen to this if reasonably stated.  I say that because I too recall hearing about Athanasius and simply thinking, “Neat,” and I doubt others would disagree with hearing more.  So, help the church out, here.  Compile a list of some authors who have a sound biblical hermeneutic throughout history (I have no idea how John Perkins rates here), as well as some key contributions in history from persons of color that have gone ignored.  I’m sure professors will extend their recommended reading lists to include them, if not also their required reading.

When African Americans or people of color are in fact mentioned, it’s usually in a derogatory way for having bad theology, etc.

Respectfully, that’s a bit of a caricature.  You just mentioned Athanasius, among others (perhaps we could have heard of more).  What is negatively mentioned is the prosperity gospel and liberal theologies sometimes taught in African American churches, including liberation theology, but also just as prevalently taught by whites and other ethnicities.  (All of this was highlighted as well in Thabiti’s book, The Decline of African American Theology.)  We should not show favoritism in either direction. Good theology is good and bad theology is bad, regardless of the source.

The truth is that Christianity would have struggled to survive tremendously without Northern Africans and even African Americans. I just had to learn of them on my own time. My seminary didn’t think those contributions were worth mentioning. I was furious when I was made to write a review of my almost 700 page American Church History book.

Brother, you make it sound as though the seminary purposeful chose to whitewash history.  This is borderline slander at best.  If those selecting materials think like me, they put exactly zero thought into the ethnicity of the author of any book they recommend.  The question in their minds is whether the book is accurate (they judge a book on the content of its character, as it were).  

You can argue that they have a blind spot, but you cannot argue that they purposefully chose to exclude persons of color from history.  In other words, they selected this 700-page history book because they thought it to be good, not because it excluded black people.  Perhaps if you have been on whatever selection committee there was, you could have provided other options.

I read the book intently looking for black or brown people and their contributions. I did not find them.

If I may ask: Why?  Biblically speaking, there’s only one race, with differing skin tones resulting from variations on brown.  As a Christian who believes what Scripture says about this, I cannot fathom reading a book with the intent of finding contributions from people sharing my particular range of melanin counts.  Chalk this up to my ignorance if I’m missing something.

But I did find that Bob Jones was included in the book as a hero of the faith. Bob Jones University refused desegregation until the early 1970’s, and then only conceded at the threat of losing their tax exempt status, which occurred in 1983. They did not overturn their rule banning interracial dating until the year 2000. This was also selfishly motivated to help the then candidate (George W. Bush) win the presidency, who took heat for giving a speech at a university that had a ban on interracial dating. (I reluctantly visited Bob Jones University in April, 2018 and I was pleasantly surprised by their repentance in living out the gospel among all people).

Bob Jones University was clearly wrong for banning interracial dating and marriage.  I'm glad God providentially used events on the national scene to end this unbiblical policy.  And I'm glad that your experience on their campus evidences repentance on their part.  Still, the Master’s University and Seminary are in no way linked to BJU (which has levied its share of criticisms against MacArthur), nor did they publish this history book which included and influential school in its telling of history.

Again, I was furious. I noted my frustration in a blistering review of the book that could devote pages to Bob Jones’ positive contributions to Christianity and could not so much as include a couple of paragraphs on any black person with significant Christian contributions even if they were not perfect. Clearly, Bob Jones wasn’t perfect. I’m sure the professor remembers the book review because I doubt he has received many like it.

I’m sure. 

Let me try to summarize your point at this point.  Your argument against this seminary is that there are not enough black authors recommended, and that a history book didn't include them either.  Is that fair?  

You can also ask Dr. Paul Felix (the only full-time African American Professor who is now retired).

Dr. Carl Hargrove, dean of students and professor while we were there, would be surprised to hear this.

I ranted in his office behind closed doors many a days with many tears. If not for him and his care for me as an African American student with a heart to one day impact the African American community, I would have surely quit. I specifically remember him telling me after ranting, “Calm down before you get kicked out of school.”

Imagine that…being in such a state of anger over how whitewashed your seminary education is that you say things that flirt with the possibility of getting you kicked out of school. I know if myself and many of my African American brothers felt this way, some of my brothers of Asian and Latino descent felt the same way or worse. I pray they will tell their stories too. Their perspectives are often left out of these conversations, but their voices are much needed.

Brother, if I may, Dr. Felix gave sage advice.  This is hardly resultant from a culture of fear and intimidation.  Put yourself in their shoes: If someone at your church grew so frustrated as to actively stir division, even if their premise started from a valid criticism, you would begin the church discipline process.  Could part of your frustration result from the fact that seminary is simply difficult?  Many a seminary student sheds tears of frustration—I’ve witnessed it and experienced it myself. 

It is hypocritical for Dr. MacArthur or anyone to say “just preach the gospel” thinking that will solve all issues. It doesn’t even work in his own church and the institutions he leads. It certainly will not work in your communities and churches. Hear me well. The true gospel is sufficient. The true gospel makes peace and destroys dividing walls of hostility. The true gospel looks racism and partiality in the face and condemns it to the pit of hell from which it came. It does not build barriers. We have a gospel that gives dignity and value and worth to all peoples. Shouldn’t our institutions that train us to take the gospel to all nations do the same? I distinctly remember when Peter, a Jew, first preached the gospel to the Gentiles in Cornelius’ home. Peter was awestruck by a divine revelation. “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality” (Acts 10:34).  Then why is there so much partiality at TMUS under the leadership of Dr. MacArthur in curriculum decisions? In my next post I will continue making my argument of partiality in their preaching/worship curriculum and much more.

I can’t couch this in comfortable terms, brother.  You are engaging in slander by saying that MacArthur purposefully engages in partiality.  This may result from your hurt, but that’s no excuse. 

I genuinely hope you repent of this with your next post.  I ask that you consider that, because others have not had the same experiences you, they therefore may not see the weight in the same issues as that you do.  In other words, I challenge you to extend a little grace in your critique, and I’m sure you’ll discover some reciprocation.  At that point, we can more freely discuss social justice issues.